Shield
by EmilyF.6
Summary: Sequel to People Will Talk: As Bella and Edward prepare for their first semester of college together, not to mention their wedding, Bella works to control her newborn thirst and learns what it means to be a member of the Cullen family. Meanwhile, her strange gift continues to baffle her family, and it may take an unexpected visit from an old friend to help her learn to control it.
1. Chapter 1

_**Hello everyone, and welcome to the fourth and final installment in the series that began with **__Her__Brothers__**, then **__Shooting__**, and finally, **__People__Will__Talk__**. I hope you will all enjoy this first chapter. **_

_Bella_

I held my breath, keeping as still as my new body would allow, making sure to stay downwind of the scent of the one I was hiding from. But he was close…and getting closer. I shifted, moving behind the tree slowly, and chanced a sniff. He was getting closer, and once he caught sight of me, I was done for. I was the last one left…he'd gotten the rest of my family. The wind shifted and I contemplated climbing up in the tree…but he was good. He'd probably see that. My only hope was to wait until he moved on and then run in the opposite direction. I inhaled almost silently. I was getting better at that, analyzing scents, learning where things and people were without looking. Vampire senses took a while to get used to, but I was learning. Jasper had been teaching me just the day before, helping me out and training me. I was still a bad fighter…he said that, like many newborns, I went for the easy kill, and could be easily outsmarted, so I'd shoved him out of the tree. He'd laughed, catching himself easily and promising that he wasn't trying to insult me.

The footsteps faded and I reminded myself of the situation at hand. 'Stay or go, stay or go…' I had to make a decision…fast. I was the last one left. Even Edward hadn't made it. I pivoted, placing my hands on the tree, and got ready to climb, telling myself that I could use the trees to get me away, and hopefully he'd give up soon. I would have to wait him out…even the house wasn't safe. I lifted myself, moving silently and carefully, being patient as I let my instincts take over. I could climb a tree with no problem, but doing it silently…well that took getting used to. But I was doing well. I made it to the lowest branch and hoisted myself up easily, staring down at him with a feral grin. He was moving away from me, his sharp eyes going back and forth across the clearing, his senses obviously on high alert. I took a step back, still silent, and looked over at the tree behind me. All I had to do was step…the trees were so close together here, and I was grateful for a moment before moving back, making my way through the thick foliage, avoiding touching the leaves as much as I could. I just had to stay upwind…Jasper had taught me that too. It applied to hunting and…well this situation as well. If he couldn't smell me or see me, then maybe I could get away…and then what? Wait him out, I reminded myself, forcing myself to be patient and wait for him to get a little further away.

He lifted his nose to the air, turning in my direction, but not looking up, and then began walking back to the tree where I perched. I held my breath once more, freezing into a statue, then told myself to move, getting as far away as I could. 'Higher.' I told myself firmly. 'Higher and further away!' I climbed upward, making no noise as I pulled myself higher, climbing the tree easily until I ran out of tree, perched above the foliage. I could see the roof of our home in the distance and felt a pang of regret. 'If only the house was safe! I'd be fine…but it's not.' I glanced around, then leapt from the tree I stood in to another, easily maneuvering and making no noise.

My newborn speed had gotten me further away than any of the others. Edward might have gotten away, but he'd gone after my fiancé first. I hadn't looked back, knowing that my only chance would be to get as far away as possible, and I'd been on my way to the heart of the swamp when he'd come along. If I could just get a little deeper into the swamp…there the smells were nearly overwhelming, animals and plants and water to cover our tracks…wash away the scent. I hardened my resolve. If I could get to the swamp, I decided, I would be safe.

I moved faster, taking a chance that he was far enough away that he wouldn't see the trees move or hear me. I could probably outrun him, but I didn't want to chance it. He'd proven himself excellent at outsmarting people. The trees thinned out a little, but if I could find a good hiding spot in a place he wouldn't think to look, then I might have a chance. I slipped down the tree when the water came into sight, looking around just in case. He was nowhere to be seen, and I couldn't smell him anywhere nearby. I landed in the water with a quiet splash that could have belonged to a deer or even a fox or wildcat. These swamps were full of animals. I hurried through the water, looking around, then crouched in a bush, backing into more foliage, my eyes open and ears alert for any sign of…footsteps. I heard them approach and felt worry start to overcome me.

I'd backed myself into a corner…if he got closer, if he picked up my scent, he'd scour the area…I berated myself for thinking he wouldn't come here. What was I supposed to do? I heard him come closer and panicked, jumping up and making a run for it. I needed to get further away…the footsteps were behind me now, not catching up but tailing me, letting me know that he saw me, that he had all but caught me. If he managed to get a hold of me, I had no chance. I couldn't fight to save my life! I ran faster, using my strength as I dodged through the swamp, splashing loudly in some places where the water was deeper. I made a sharp turn, trying to lose him again, but he tailed me easily, his footsteps growing closer, and I leaped, reaching for a tree branch and pulling myself up as quickly as I could, racing through the trees like a monkey, swinging from branch to branch as I turned corners and changed heights, hoping to lose him, and after climbing to the top of one of the taller trees, I stayed absolutely still. I couldn't hear him anymore.

I leaned my head back, letting myself exhale marginally, finally relaxing a little. 'Okay, again. I just have to stay here…or find a better hiding spot, and then….' My thoughts were cut off when I heard a loud snarl, and someone was tackling me. I hit the ground first, and although it didn't really hurt at all, I cried out, twisting and fighting his hands. 'Get away get away get away!' I told myself over and over, trying to use my strength, but teeth brushed against my neck, a low growl coming from the man pinning me to the ground, and I went completely still.

"Gotcha."

I sighed, my arms going limp at my sides while my brother chuckled, climbing off of me. "I win." He announced cheerfully, and I rolled my eyes.

"I almost got away!" I argued, sitting up, and he snorted.

"Yeah right. I had you right where I wanted you." I pouted, scrunching my nose, and he put an arm around me. "You did really well. Better than anyone else." He admitted softly, his hand on my back, and I smiled at him.

"Who did you get first?"

"Edward, but he can't be it, so Emmett's next." I nodded, just glad it wasn't me. I'd spent the last four hours hiding just so I didn't have to be it again. When we'd played our first game in our new home, as the newest member, I was declared to be it. So feeling like the new kid in preschool, I'd stood in the house, my eyes closed as I counted, my nose in a corner. Finally, after reaching twenty, I'd scoured the area, trying to make my new senses work for me, but my siblings had years of experience, and I'd been overwhelmed by the new smells. It had been a full two hours before I'd caught Edward's scent, the most familiar to me, and had raced through the swamp, feeling more like a bloodhound than a vampire as I tracked him. However, I'd been proud of myself when I'd caught sight of him in a tree, easily overtaking him with my strength, and he'd chuckled as I'd celebrated, after pinning him to the ground of course, my lips against his neck as he'd wrapped his arms around me.

"Bella, you still have to catch everyone else." He'd told me, laughing. "I can't be it anyway." He'd reminded me, pointing to his head, and I'd groaned, dropping down on his chest in the circle of his arms. "Good luck." After a quick kiss, he'd gone back to the house. After an incident that Esme referred to as 'the time Emmett and Edward destroyed an entire house,' we were forbidden from playing in the house, especially not hide and seek or wrestling, so it was out of bounds. She had allowed them to hide on the roof…before Emmett had tackled Alice and sent them all the way down to the first floor. Therefore, it was only used as a waiting area. Helping was also not allowed. They had a whole different game for that, apparently.

I'd found Emmett next. He wasn't great at the game, but he was strong enough to get away if he was caught. They'd explained to me that in order to be out, the other person's teeth had to touch their throat. Of course, as they'd demonstrated when Emmett had tackled me in order to give me some first hand experience, we never actually bit one another. Still, it had been frightening for a second when I'd looked up to see my giant brother on top of me, his teeth at my neck. But I had a feeling Emmett had been gentle with me. After I'd tackled him, finding him hiding in the moor by some bushes, he'd gone down pretty easily, giving in when I'd gotten close to his throat. I hadn't had much training in fighting, and only the guys were really rough with one another when playing.

The expansive moors and swamps on our property were an excellent playground, and as I'd learned while living with my family as one of them, they loved to play together. Baseball. Soccer. Tennis. All extreme versions of course. But one of my favorites was hide and seek. While Carlisle and Esme sometimes played, they'd opted out today. Carlisle was arranging for Charlie to come visit, and Angela as well. Alice wanted to have the wedding as soon as possible, but I wanted to wait for Charlie and Angela to arrive. I was sure Charlie would bring Sue and Leah and Seth, and they could all be there as well….honestly that sounded better than a big wedding. It would just be my closest friends and family, and I was fine with that.

"I didn't think you'd ever catch her!" Emmett grinned from the porch. Edward smiled as well, flashing over to my side and kissing my cheek.

"She's good." Jasper agreed easily, releasing me to Edward, and sitting beside Alice. "Again? Emmett, you're it."

"Nah." Emmett wasn't as big of a fan of this game as I, preferring games that allowed him to use his massive strength. We would often drop games and pick them up later, as I'd learned in the last week. Nights were fairly boring, and even with our hobbies and personal pursuits, we still had plenty of free time. Esme was spending most of her time with the blueprints for the house, deciding what she wanted to do with the outer walls…if she wanted to install glass like she had with the last one, or if she wanted to keep it in the original style. Carlisle helped her, since he didn't start his new job here for a week or two. He was still going to be a doctor at a local hospital, but he was also teaching at the University that Edward and I would attend…soon. Actually, I hadn't done much work on my own control. After the events of the last month, Carlisle wanted me to take it easy…for all of us to, thus the abundant free time to teach me all the games they loved to play. "Wanna spar?" Jasper grinned, nodding, and I could tell that Edward did too. I wasn't a fan. My more experienced brothers could pin me in a second, even with my strength, although Rosalie and Alice were just as dangerous, but Edward always let me win, not wanting to risk hurting me even if I was a lot stronger now.

"Go ahead. I'm going to go find Carlie." I told him, kissing him quickly, then heading inside while they all ran off to find a clearing far enough away from the house that they wouldn't accidently destroy anything or worry Esme.

"Looks like he found you." Our mother said with a smile, glancing up from where she and Carlisle were looking at some blueprints in the kitchen. I nodded, joining them. Her arm went around me, and Carlisle smiled at me gently. "You're getting better." I looked down at the blueprints sheepishly, but she was right…I could feel it. My senses were getting easier to cope with, and I could focus much more easily. I wondered if these games had anything to do with that…training me to gain some control over my new body.

"Would you like to help?" Carlisle wondered, gesturing for me to come closer, and I nodded, moving between them. His lips pressed against my hair as he pulled me to his side for a moment.

"I don't know anything about architecture." I told him with a rueful smile, starting to back away, but he took my hand.

"Here. Let us show you."

* * *

_Edward_

Jasper grinned at me, the invitation clear in his mind. He wasn't going to attack first. He wanted me to come at him. I hesitated, feigning left, then right, taking a step forward and two back, trying to circle, moving away…anything to get him to come forward. His thoughts were racing, trying to keep me from guessing his next move, and I tried to focus on my own plan of attack, not wanting to rely on my talent to beat him. The others watched, chuckling when Jasper growled a little in frustration at me. Alice was laughing under her breath, and I tried to tune them all out while I watched my brother.

We'd spent the last week moving in and teaching Bella to be more comfortable as a vampire. She took to it pretty well, and immediately we could all tell that she loved being included in our games. And I loved it when she played, as did the rest of my family. Jasper especially enjoyed spending time with her, her elated mood rubbing off on him more easily than with the rest of us. But there was nothing I loved more than spending the days with her…just the two of us, running through the forest, her eyes lighting up as we would race and play like children, sometimes falling into the marshes and ponds, coming home after dark, our clothes and hair dripping wet, our clothes ruined.

I'd found a spot in the marshes, almost at the edge of the property that reminded me of our meadow back in Forks. I'd left Bella at home with the others, searching all over the property before I'd found the perfect spot, and then I'd rushed home, finding Bella curled up on the sofa with Carlie, her lips on the puppy's head. Jasper had been on her other side, rubbing Carlie's back gently, and every once in a while, she would whirl around, playfully nipping at him. Bella smiled when I entered the house, her eyes lighting up as I came into view, and for a moment, I'd paused, just looking at her.

She was my Bella…the same beautiful woman, the same sweet, gentle soul…but now she was strong like me, and I couldn't have been happier that she could now really be with my family, playing and enjoying time with us. And hunting together…I'd never quite understood the special appeal of hunting with a mate, but every time we went out to hunt together, I understood more and more until I regretted insisting we wait for the wedding. Once, in the middle of a hunt as she'd sunk her teeth into the throat of a wildcat, I'd nearly jumped her, and it had taken a moment for me to remember why a wedding was important. It only got harder from there, and when the cat had ripped her shirt, I'd groaned aloud, making her give me a questioning look as she'd drank from the cat.

"Edward?" I'd been surprised to find myself still standing in the doorway, staring at her. Jasper chuckled softly, pulling Carlie into his arms and gesture for us to go do whatever it was I wanted to. Laughing, Bella had flashed to my side, putting a hand on my cheek. "What are you doing?" She'd asked with a soft laugh, and I'd smiled, placing my hands over hers on my face, taking a moment to feel the soft warmth of her skin.

I was torn from my thoughts when I was nearly tackled…I leapt out of the way, spinning and bearing my teeth with an involuntary growl. My siblings and I couldn't help the noises…we would often growl and hiss at one another when playing or when upset. The first time Bella had growled at Jasper as he'd gone to attack her when they were sparring, she'd frozen in horror, and he'd barely stopped himself in time before actually biting her as he'd thrown her to the ground, landing on top of her heavily.

There had been a tense moment when all I'd seen was a vampire with his teeth against my mate's throat, her eyes still wide with shock and horror, and Emmett had grabbed me before I could attack my brother. Since then, she'd learned that these were just playful noises, involuntary and never meant as an actual threat. When we were angry, that's when the noises became hostile.

Jasper lunged at me again, obviously taking note of my distraction, and I ducked easily, this time paying more attention to our game. Emmett chuckled, noticing my distraction, and even Alice smiled a little. "Come on Jasper! No one's beaten him in years!" Emmett yelled.

"Bella did." Alice pointed out, but Emmett snorted.

"You know that's just because he won't fight her!" He argued. I forced myself to focus on the fight, jumping forward and pulling away at the last minute, almost catching Jasper off guard. He spun around, following me with his eyes, crouching and bearing his teeth. Suddenly, a thought flashed in Emmett's mind, and I barely jumped out of the way in time to dodge him, focused as I was on Jasper coming at me.  
"Hey!" I cried, backing away from the two of them.

"Oh come on. This is never going to end, and it's more fair this way." Emmett reasoned, giving Jasper a conspiratory grin. Rosalie laughed aloud, and I glanced over to find she and Alice lounging on the ground wearing matching smiles as they watched their mates come after me. They lunged at the same time, and I twisted away, slipping between them and grabbing Emmett's arm. He snarled, but I managed to yank him, shoving him on the ground, but before my teeth could touch his neck, Jasper went for mine. I leapt off of him, jumping away. We'd all been sparring for nearly an hour now, and I was ready to get back to Bella, but I wasn't about to give up. I had too much pride for that!

Jasper lunged once more, this time getting closer, and I cursed silently in frustration when I was, once more, prevented from getting Emmett. And then Emmett had my arms. I snarled, trying to twist out of his grip, and Jasper chuckled, stalking forward. They were savoring their little victory. I growled irritably, wishing we'd been more specific about the rules, when suddenly, there was a quiet snarl, and a blur emerged from the woods, tackling Jasper. Recognizing the form immediately, I used the distraction to slam my head back into Emmett's, kicking at his knee with my heel, and then spinning, my teeth against his neck

"I got you!" Bella was sitting triumphantly on top of Jasper's stomach, and she'd obviously tagged his neck, because he wasn't fighting. She was smiling ear to ear, giggling softly, and I knew Jasper couldn't help his amusement when she was so proud.

"You little cheat." He teased, reaching up and shoving her off. "Get off." He chortled, siting up rolling his eyes. She was lying on her back, hair splayed out around her head, the sun making her skin sparkle. Her eyes, still blood-red, were full of mirth as she laughed at her brother. Her eyes met mine then, and I felt my heart flip. Flashing over to her side, I reached down, kissing her soft, warm lips with as much passion as I felt, knowing that I couldn't hurt her. In fact, her grip on my back was almost a little too tight, but I didn't mind.

"I believe I owe my victory to you." I murmured, my lips only a centimeter from hers as I pulled her up, picking a leaf out of her hair. "I thought you were helping Esme."

"I was, but then I heard you were in trouble, so I had to come save you." She teased, her forehead touching mine, and I smiled, rubbing a finger along her cheek. "Shame on you, Emmett, cheating like that." She stuck her tongue out at our giant brother, and he rolled his eyes, joining Rosalie and Alice on the over on the ground. Esme and Carlisle came out, appearing beside my sisters, and Carlisle crossed his arms just as a little black dog appeared, jumping into Bella's lap and attacking her face with her tongue. "Hey girl." She cooed, snuggling the little puppy and kissing her head. I rubbed the dog's back, putting an arm around Bella.

"Who won?" He wondered, obviously amused.

"Bella." Jasper answered with a rueful grin, nodding his head over to us, and Esme laughed.

"I was wondered where she was running off to." Esme looked around, her eyes soft and her thoughts content as she surveyed her family. She loved it when all was peaceful and happy in her family, and since Bella, that had happened more and more. "Bella, wasn't there something you wanted to show Edward?" She prompted my fiancé with a tiny smile.

"Oh! Right!" My love's eyes lit up as she turned to me. "We finished plans for the bedroom…I mean, decorating it." Since we'd moved to the new house, we hadn't done much besides the actual architecture, and some remodeling. Bella and I were sharing a large master bedroom that was, at the moment, empty of all furniture but a large bed. We'd taken the first week or so to get her adjusted to life with us and to play, enjoying some stress-free time. Of course, we all pitched in in the cleaning as well, and Bella and I had worked in the library, unpacking the books and placing them on shelves. Bella and I would decorate the room…well, she would. I would be happy with anything as long as she was, and we were planning on going shopping soon. We needed to start getting her around humans in a controlled environment so that she could start building tolerance. She hadn't registered for classes yet, and we all wondered if she would be ready to attend class by the start of the fall semester. "Come on!" She jumped to her feet, tugging me up as well, and I chuckled as hauled me to the house, past everyone else, and Carlie leapt into Jasper's arms, not happy to be ignored.

"I'm coming, I'm coming." I laughed, gripping her hand and kissing it. She was so happy…I felt it, as though I were Jasper. I paused as she pulled me into the kitchen, placing my hands around her waist, lifting her and spinning her around, my lips finding hers, and like a typical newborn, she was instantly distracted. She wrapped her arms around me, lifting her legs, and I groaned a little, hitching her legs over my hips. As she wound herself around me, pressing against my body, I realized that, if I had any hopes of the wedding night I'd planned, we would need to stop.

"Love…" I murmured, gasping as her lips moved to my neck. She'd become more and more bold, and I couldn't complain, but she was making it harder to stop every time. "You wanted to show me something."

"Mhm." I chuckled when she didn't stop, her tongue touching the skin right under my ear.

"Wedding night." I reminded her, trying to pull gently away, but I didn't have much fight in me.

"Edward…" She whined, her adorable nose scrunching as she pulled away.

"It's going to be great."

"Fine." She rolled her eyes, grabbing my hand and pulling me into the kitchen where she'd laid out the plans. "Okay, so I was thinking we could use this color…or maybe this one. But the bedding can be like this…I like this pattern, what do you think?" I could understand her excitement. As much as she didn't like shopping, she was happy to decorate our bedroom together. Grinning and nodding as I put an arm around her, I listened to her ideas on color scheme, wondering if she'd gotten any of them from Esme or Alice. "Edward? Are you listening?"

"Of course, my love."

_**Thank you all for reading!**_


	2. Chapter 2

**Thank you all so much for reading and reviewing! I'm glad you're all excited to read this final installment of the one-shot that turned into a series. I truly appreciate all of the reviews. Thank you to **xElleTomlinsonx **for the sweet review! I'm very busy at the moment, but I will try to check out your profile. Thank you again to everyone who reviewed. **** I hope you like this chapter.**

_Bella_

I found that, as a vampire, my natural response to being stressed or upset was absolute immobility, which was how I found myself sitting next to Edward in his car, my body completely still as we drove into the city. Although the plan, at the moment, was for me to take online classes at the college, I still needed to get used to being around humans, even though I didn't yet know if we would be attending college or high school. Spending a few minutes with first my father and then Angela a week ago had been a significant challenge, and I wasn't looking forward to being in a store full of humans when I could still feel that dull ache in my throat.

I knew that I would be with my family, and they would all be ready to hold me back if something were to happen…but the very thought of the look on their faces if I were to attack someone…it made me sick, somehow. 'What if I cause a scene and we have to leave? What if I bring the Volturi down on us? What if I kill someone!?'

"Love?" I glanced over at Edward, his voice startling me despite how softly he was speaking. "Are you okay?"

"I'm fine." I assured him, smiling gently and taking his free hand, squeezing carefully. The thought that I had to be careful with him now was almost amusing. He chuckled softly, shaking his head, and I realized with a sigh I'd said it again. "Sorry." I mumbled. I'd been trying for more honesty with him, and although it was difficult, I was doing better. "I'm worried…being in a building full of humans." We were on our way to the store where we would be picking out bedding and paint and everything else for the room. Carlisle and Esme were already at the store with Alice, and the others were behind us in Rosalie's new car. Driving on the left side of the road would have been quite uncomfortable if I were human, but honestly, I trusted Edward completely, and even if we were to get into an accident, we would be fine.

"You'll be fine." He assured me, turning to look at me instead of the road. "We're all going to be with you the whole time. And then, we get to paint our bedroom and get everything set up…we'll be living here for a while."

"If I don't kill anyone." I murmured, and he sighed, kissing my hand.

"I'm going to be holding onto you the whole time." He promised. "I won't let you hurt anyone. And I think you're not giving yourself enough credit. You were able to talk to your father inside his house only a few days after you were changed. And you and Alice just hunted last night." I nodded, keeping quite as we drove into the city, and I found myself watching the humans as they walked around the city, in and out of the buildings. It was cloudy, the trees swaying in the wind as people occasionally glanced up at the sky, probably wondering if it was going to rain. It was. Alice had assured us that a storm was moving in, and in a few hours, we would be driving home in a downpour. "Alice promised to let us decorate." He reminded me, and I nodded once more. "Bella?"

"Yeah?"

"You don't have to do this today." I made myself smile, turning to him. I knew that Alice would kill us if we bailed last minute. She wanted to get the entire house decorated as soon as possible so she could move on to whatever project she had planned next.

"You'll be there. I'll be fine." Honestly, I was somewhat excited about this type of shopping. I'd be spending the day with Edward and then we would be decorating our bedroom…_our_ room. Of course, I knew we would be moving in less than ten years, and that this would happen again, but this was the first time Edward and I would be sharing a room that we decorated together…in a new house with the family and…it was exiting. Like a new beginning with Edward, and although I knew all of the moving and redecorating would probably get old at some point, I didn't want to think on that any more than I wanted to think about the humans I would be interacting with al day.

We pulled into the parking lot next to Carlisle's new car, followed quickly by Rosalie's. They were all relatively normal cars, as we were doing our best not to stand out this time. The city itself was large…much larger than Forks, but since we lived out on the countryside, we also had a collection of fancy, sleek, ridiculously expensive cars that the others insisted on. At the moment, I didn't have my own car…I just shared with Edward, which was fine with me. I didn't plan on going anywhere among humans alone any time soon.

Edward appeared at the passenger's side, opening the door and offering a hand, and although the gesture was completely unnecessary, I thanked him softly, taking his warm hand in my own and fighting the urge to kiss him in the very public parking lot. Although my throat burned, while his hand was holding mine, my thoughts were solely on him. "Come on, you two. I want to get this over with." Emmett called, already opening the door to the shop, and we followed with small smiles, stepping inside the building and immediately spotting Esme chatting with a woman in an apron while looking at paint samples. I could smell Alice and Carlisle as well, but it was the store employee with the apron that had my full attention.

For just a second, I forgot that she was a woman, probably mid-forties, with lovely blonde hair with a few streaks of grey tucked into a loose ponytail; that she was smiling at Esme and laughing easily at something my adoptive mother said. All I could see was the faint pulse point on her neck where I knew the blood ran, and the smell made my throat burse into flames. I wasn't thirsty…I was actually quite full, almost to the point of feeling uncomfortable, but my throat ached and I knew that blood would feel so nice…even better than a deer or a mountain lion. "Bella." Edward's hand tightened on my own, and with a rush of shame, I realized what I'd been thinking. I dropped my head, too humiliated to see if the others were looking at me. I'd been practically drooling while staring at that poor woman.

"It's okay, Bella." Jasper murmured from Emmett's side as the two approached Esme and the woman who introduced herself and Lori.

"We knew it would be hard at first. It's okay." Edward comforted me gently, rubbing his thumb over the back of my hand. "It was hard for all of us. Come on. Let's look around, okay? Alice wants to show us some paint samples." I nodded, not breathing as he pulled me aside, and we made our way down a few aisles b efore we found Alice, comparing two color samples as though nothing had happened.

"Okay, so I know you were looking at blues and greens…what do you think of this color? And we're keeping the floors as they are…they're all original. The bedding you liked will go with this color, Bella." Alice held up three different pain swatches and I thought for a moment, trying to concentrate. I wasn't an interior designer, so I glanced over at Edward who was watching me, a soft smile on his lips as he continued to caress my hand with his thumb.

"Um…I like the lighter one…that one?" I asked, picking one of the lighter blues, and Edward nodded.

"I don't really have a preference." He admitted, kissing my cheek. "You pick." I gave him a look, scrunching my nose and crossing my arms.

"But what if you hate it? You have to help. Do you even like blue?" He chuckled, darting forward and kissing me, making my roll my eyes and laugh a little.

"As long as you're in the room, I won't be looking at the walls." He murmured, and Alice sighed behind me.

"Shoo then. Go find Carlisle then. I'll make sure you love whatever color I pick…on the off chance Bella isn't constantly with you in the room." He laughed softly, taking my hand and leading me down the aisles. It wasn't hard to find our father….he was standing beside Rosalie and Emmett who were looking at wallpaper.

Sadly, this trip wasn't turning out how I'd hoped. I'd wanted to decorate our room with Edward. I'd wanted to show myself that I could be in a store full of humans without feeling this consuming pain in my throat…without thinking about sinking my teeth into a human's neck, blood coating my tongue…soothing my throat. "Bella?" Emmett and Carlisle were staring at me, but Edward pulled me aside, his hand touching my face. I felt a wave of hot shame…my eyes were wet and he glanced over at his family, nodding at something his father must have been thinking.

"I want to go home." I whispered simply, not meeting his eyes, and he nodded.

"Of course, love." He took my hand, rubbing his thumb along the back, and we walked together out into the parking lot. "Are you alright?" He asked, pausing outside of his still warm car. "Do you need Carlisle? Are you feeling okay?" I didn't know what could possibly be wrong with me now. I was immortal. Almost indestructible. It wasn't like I could get sick anymore.

"I'm fine. I just want to go home." I slipped away and climbed into the passenger's seat, staring out the window as he started the car, reaching out almost tentatively to take my hand. I let him, not squeezing back when he did.

"Can I please ask what you're thinking?" He whispered, and the sadness in his voice brought me out of my daze.

"I wanted to kill her, Edward." I answered simply. "That woman talking to Esme…"

"Sweetheart, you weren't in any danger of harming her. Alice would have seen." I didn't answer. It didn't matter. I'd known that it would be hard. But knowing that something was going to be difficult and actually feeling the burning thirst that came with wanting to kill another person were two totally different things. He was driving so quickly that, had I still been human, the scenery would have been a complete blur. Instead, I tried to concentrate on each of the trees as we passed them…on the birds and the squirrels and the less frequent humans. "We all understand…it's something we've all been through, especially at first. It's only been a little over two weeks. We shouldn't have tried this today."

I was silent until we pulled into the driveway, and then I was out of the car, hurrying inside to find Carlie. "Hey sweetie." I murmured as the puppy met me in the foyer, and them immediately followed her as she went outside to use the bathroom, even though we'd only been gone for about an hour. Edward watched me from the entrance to the garage where he'd parked the car, his brow furrowed. He hadn't pulled out his cellphone to explain what was going on to the rest of the family. As much as I loved all of them however, it was nice to be just the two of us for a while. Well…the three of us, I amended silently as Carlie ran circles around me, yipping playfully until I picked her up, snuggling her in my arms and burying my nose in her fur.

I sat on the grass, cuddling with my quickly growing puppy. He joined me after a moment, tentatively putting his arms around me and kissing my hair. He knew me pretty well…well enough not to ask about my strange mood. He laughed a little when Carlie climbed into his arms instead, and the two of us pet her, kissing her head indulgently, then laughing when she took off, running around the yard. I kept an eye on her. There was a fence around the property, but I wasn't about to risk losing her.

I closed my eyes and lay on my back, feeling Edward move beside me, keeping me in his arms. He obviously understood that I didn't want to talk about it, and he didn't push me. "Would you like to go for a hunt?" He offered. I did…but not with him. The thought made my chest ache and I curled up at his side. I wanted to be alone for a while. To think. I'd made my decision and I certainly didn't regret it. But I hadn't had a second alone since I'd been changed, and everything suddenly seemed too much.

"Will you watch Carlie?" I asked, not surprised but flinching just a bit when his eyes widened in hurt. "I just…I just want to be alone. Just for a few hours, Edward." He swallowed hard, nodding with a forced smile.

"Of course, love." He told me gently, and I kissed him, cupping his face in my hand. I wanted him to know that I loved him…that nothing could ever change that. This had nothing to do with him. I couldn't bear for him to think I was angry with him.

"I love you. I'll be back soon." I whispered against his mouth, kissing him one more time before standing and taking off.

* * *

_Edward_

Mood-swings weren't uncommon with newborns. I expected them…I did my best to make sure she didn't ever suspect I was upset with her. But today was something different. She'd been excited, even in the face of my less-than-believable fake enthusiasm about decorating our bedroom together, and then, as if a switch was turned off, she shut down, asking me to take her home, barely speaking to me. I watched her retreating back, my heart crumbling as she left me. That's how I saw it…she was leaving me. What had I done? Did she regret it? Now that she'd been met with the reality of our life, did she resent me for changing her? Well…Carlisle had changed her…did she resent him? Did she hate us for condemning her to this life?

I held Carlie in my arms and climbed up the stairs to our bedrooms. The puppy curled up happily on my lap, licking my face with a tail that whipped back and forth, smacking me every other second. My thoughts couldn't stray far from Bella, even with the overly excited puppy in my arms. I leaned my head back against the headboard, staring at the ceiling. I wondered what kind of bedding Alice would buy us…I wondered why I couldn't have done a better job faking excitement. Maybe that would have made her feel better. I knew she was doing well…she loved playing with my family and joking around with us…she loved the games and the closeness and hunting with me. But she was still afraid. She didn't want to go near humans. She was supposed to start online classes later, but the details were honestly still not settled. One moment she was thinking about finishing high school, but Carlisle was worried about her control, and so was she, especially after today.

Of course she could always do online college classes under a different name, which would give her two to four years to go back to high school. That would give us some extra years…but I was afraid she was uncomfortable with the idea. Of course I would stay and do classes with her. When we went to high school, I'd go with her. I would stay at her side no matter what. But maybe that wasn't what she wanted. Maybe she didn't want to be with me. Maybe she thought this was a mistake. I closed my eyes tightly, squeezing the little dog in my arms. She'd has such a good week, and I'd rushed her into this.

My phone vibrated in my pocket, making me jump a little. I shifted the puppy onto the bed and pulled it out, greeting Alice after checking the name. "Hey, she's fine. Stop worrying." She scolded gently. "We all had a hard time at first."

"What if she leaves, Alice." I whispered, stroking Carlie's head absently.

"Edward stop." She told me firmly. "Bella would never leave you. She loves you. This is her first time really being around humans, and it's hard on her." There was a long pause, and I took a deep breath. "Will it be okay if I go after her?"

"Wait for her to come back to you. She just needs a few hours alone." She advised. Thanking her quietly, I hung up the phone and placed it on the bed beside me, chuckling softly when the dog climbed onto my chest. To my surprise, it was only about a half hour later that a car pulled into the driveway, and Carlisle and Esme entered the house. Carlie leapt off the bed, racing down to meet them, and I stood with a small smile, following her down the stairs to find my parents in a half second.

'Is she okay?" Esme asked silently, touching my arms, and I forced a smile.

"Alice says she just needs a bit of time…she went hunting." The 'by herself' hung silently in the air, and Esme squeezed my arm.

"She's doing well, Edward. She was able to be in a room with humans and didn't attack. She was tempted, but she was able to tell you when she needed to leave. That's an accomplishment, Edward…it's only been two weeks."

"_I_ know that." I reminded him. "She's doing so well…but she's afraid. And...so am I. What if she thinks this was a mistake, Carlisle?"

"Edward, Bella gave up her humanity for you, but she knew what she was doing. She was fully informed going into this, and she loves you so much. She made her choice. She chose you…and all of us for her family. Even if there ever comes a time when she regrets this decision, which I doubt she will, or if she misses her old life, which is more likely, then it will still have been her choice."

It took her nearly two hours to return, and when she did, she headed right up to our room where I was sitting, waiting for her, and sat beside me. "I'm sorry." She whispered, looking up at me from below her lashes, seeming sheepish and sad, and I wrapped my arms firmly around her, kissing her hair.

"You have nothing to apologize for."

"I knew it would be hard." She argued with a soft sob, and I ran my hand through her long hair, taking a deep breath of her unique, sweet scent.

"There is a difference between knowing something and experiencing it." I reminded her. "It gets easier, but for now, it is going to be hard, both mentally and physically for you. But I'm going to be right here with you." I cupped her face in my hands, smiling a little when she did. "I love you."

"I love you too." She murmured, reaching up and kissing me, lifting her arms to drape around my neck, and I lay back on the bed, pulling her on top of me. "I love you so much…I'm sorry I ran off like that." She whispered against my lips, her crimson eyes still a little sad.

"You don't have to be sorry. We all need time alone sometimes. That's okay. I understand. Did you catch anything." I wondered with a smile, my thumb sliding over her jaw, and for a second I lost myself in the feel of her soft, warm skin. My lips followed my fingers and I pressed them against her throat.

"Squirrel." She mumbled, and I chuckled against her skin. My lips continued their trail down to her collar bones. "Not that I'm protesting…" She tangled her fingers in my hair, shifting on top of me. "…but didn't you say something…about a wedding? And…waiting…not that I'm anxious to…wait…" She gasped when my fingers slipped under her blouse and inched upwards.

"We're still waiting." I said against her skin with a laugh. "But there are plenty of other things we can do in the meantime."

* * *

_Alice_

The envelope turned over and over in Edward's hands, his expression stressed and heavy. Bella sat behind him, her hand on his arm. "It's going to be okay. Carlisle can go with me…he doesn't need to see you." In the next moment, Carlisle and Bella were on a plane, his arm around her…what was he saying? Where were…oh. Italy.

"Alice?" Jasper's hand on my shoulder brought me back to the present and I smiled weakly at my husband, then at the woman assisting us.

"I'm so sorry. I completely zoned out." I told the woman with a little laugh, and she smiled, asking again which color I preferred out of the three she held up. Emmett, Rosalie, and Jasper, however, were all staring at me warily, wondered what had distracted me. I squeezed Jasper's hand, hoping to assure him that I was okay. As soon as the woman headed back behind the counter to get the paint, I filled them in too quietly for the woman to hear.

"Carlisle is going to take Bella to see Aro…he has to. They're going to come here if he doesn't, and we don't want them coming there…we just moved here. He already wants Edward and me…it's best we don't go…we don't want to tempt him." Paying for the paint, we headed outside, and I pulled out my phone to call Carlisle to give him a head's up before we got any letters from his old friend.

When we arrived home, Bella and Edward were still upstairs, but Carlisle and Esme were waiting for us in the living room. Rosalie and Emmett took the armchair while Jasper and I joined our parents on the sofa. "I couldn't tell how long we had…but Edward looked upset when he was reading the letter. I think you should go before they try to contact us." From the absence of sound upstairs, I could tell that we had Edward and Bella's attention. A moment later, they were standing in the doorway to the living room, Bella tucked under Edward's arm.

"I have to go." Edward spoke up, but before I could explain what that was a terrible idea, Bella beat me to it.

"No! They already want you. We have to keep you away from Aro."

"Edward, I'll be with her." Carlisle reminded him. "You know I would never let anything happen to Bella. You can be close by, but the two of us will have to enter the city alone."

"Edward." Bella whispered to our distraught brother, tugging his arm gently and turning him around to face her. He cupped her face in his hands, looking terrified. The fun from the day before seemed like a distant memory now, and once more, my brother was afraid for his mate's life. "They have no reason to want to hurt me. We did what they asked. We haven't broken any rules. We'll just stop by…it probably won't take but an hour, and then we'll be together again. Maybe we can go to Spain on our way back?" She asked, her eyes alight with mischief, and I smiled when Edward relaxed a little, stroking her hair.

"That sounds like a great idea." Carlisle put in, nodding at both of them. "Edward, you can wait for us in Spain. Bella and I will go on to Italy, meet with Aro, then come back the same day. You can survive that long without her." He teased, and Edward chuckled softly.

"If I must." He joked, kissing Bella's hair. "Then the wedding." He verified, and I nodded.

"The plans are all finished. We'll have it here. We can invite everyone…well, you know. Charlie, Angela…and I was thinking Kate too." Edward lifted an eyebrow at that, obviously wondering why I'd specified her, but was cut off by Carlisle standing and pulling out his phone.

"I'll go ahead and book the tickets. The sooner we get this over with, the sooner you two can get married and we can put all of this behind us." Bella nodded, and I knew she wasn't eager for the wedding…it was what would happen on Isle Esme that had her keyed up. Edward gave me a look, but I just tucked myself into Jasper's side, smiling innocently. I wasn't going to ruin the surprise.

**Thank you all for reading!**


	3. Chapter 3

_**Thank you all for reading and a huge thank you to everyone who has reviewed, including hanna 111. I truly appreciate it! I apologize in advance, as I have three essays to write and exams to study for, so new chapters will have to wait a bit. But I will get them out as soon as possible. **_

_Bella_

I remembered this corridor…the long stretch of stone and gloomy archways and columns…only now I wasn't nearly so cold, and I was a little less afraid. Carlisle glanced over at me, putting an arm around my shoulders after a moment as we followed Felix down the dark hallway. Well…it would be dark to a human. I could see just fine. My thoughts wandered back to the last time I'd seen the giant vampire, almost as big and strong looking as my brother, and I felt a shiver go down my spine. Carlisle was with me, I reminded myself. Aro liked Carlisle and we'd done nothing wrong. I was safe with him. Carlisle noticed my fear and kissed my hair quickly. "It's going to be okay, Bella. We'll be heading back to Spain soon…" I nodded, forcing myself to breathe evenly. Not that it mattered…it just kept me calm.

After a couple of days of careful planning, it had been decided that Carlisle would accompany me to Volterra. As much as I didn't want to put anyone else in the family in danger, everyone had been adamant that I not come alone. Honestly, I couldn't really argue. The thought of coming here alone terrified me. But that didn't mean I wanted anyone else in danger. If it were up to me, we would just Skype the crazies. Did vampires do Skype? I almost smiled at the idea of calling Aro up via the computer and chatting about my transformation. Edward had insisted on coming as well, but had reluctantly agreed that going to Italy with us might be risky, so he'd agreed to just come part of the way.

Early that morning, we'd left Edward at a hotel in Spain…he and I had spent the evening together while Carlisle had spent the night in a room separate from us, on the phone with Esme nearly the whole time. Of course, we'd agree that our 'wedding night' would wait until our actual wedding night, but there were so many other things we could do…if I had been human, my cheeks would have heated up, making my face glow red in the stone corridor. As it was, the corners of my lips lifted and I swallowed the smile, scolding myself for thinking about that while we were on our way to speak to the maniac that lived here.

"They have no quarrel with us…they have no reason to. Aro is an old friend. He wants to make sure we've met his condition." My father reminded me, pulling me out of my daydreaming. I nodded, still doubtful, but hoping he was right. The last time I had met Aro, he'd mentioned Carlisle as an 'old friend' and of course, Carlisle had told me a little about the Volturi and his time with them. For half a second, I wished Carlie were with me. Edward had almost agreed to bring her to the hotel at least, but I knew she didn't much care for flying, so I didn't want to put her through that just for my own comfort. Still, I'd be happy to see my puppy soon. She was getting bigger every day.

On the plane ride over, in our private jet of course, as I wasn't even close to being able to be around humans in such a small space for so long, Carlisle had told me a few stories about his life in Italy. It was here that he'd studied medicine for so many years, and learned about art, posing for paintings for hours on year with his friends…or friends at the time. He also told me of their attempts to 'cure him of his unnatural aversion' to human blood. I'd flinched at that, closing my eyes at the thought of being faced with the types of temptation he had. It was no wonder to me that he'd left them.

My thoughts wandered back to Edward once more, and I realized I was counting the moments until I could get back to him. I already missed him so much. He'd almost insisted on coming, but it was bad enough Aro might latch onto the fact that Charlie knew that I wasn't dead. Of course, we hadn't told anyone anything explicitly…I just hoped that would be enough to keep him from detaining us…or moving against my father. I wanted this over as quickly as possible.

The most important thing was, I didn't want Aro anywhere near Edward, or Alice for that matter. They had told me that he collected talented vampires, and he wanted them. He wanted Edward and Alice for his collection, and I couldn't bear the thought of losing either of them. So I'd insisted, despite Edward's surprisingly loud and fervent protests, that he stay in Spain and wait for us to return from our visit. In the end, I'd had to pry myself out of his arms with the promise that I would call as soon as we were finished in Volterra. Even as he'd kissed me goodbye and extracted the promise from Carlisle that he would never let anything happen to me, I'd been able to see the fear in his eyes.

The hallway twisted and turned, but I knew that I would be able to find my way out this time, on my own if I had to. I glanced over at Carlisle and amended the thought. I wouldn't be leaving alone. I could never return without Carlisle. Up ahead, Felix moved unhurriedly through the corridors, never bothering to glance back at us as we made our way deeper and deeper into the buildings. He had greeted us at the car as we'd parked in the shade, grinning at me familiarly. "Hey Bella." He'd almost leered at me, and I'd rolled my eyes, smirking a little. He wasn't nearly as frightening now that I was a newborn.

"Felix." Carlisle had looked between us, trying to figure out the strange atmosphere, but had immediately dropped it, not bothering to ask how they'd known we were coming. They might not have anyone like Alice, but they certainly knew how to keep tabs on their 'subjects.' Without further ado, we had been ushered into an old, empty building and then down a flight of stairs, making me wonder if all of these buildings were connected by underground tunnels, and if so, these tunnels had been built by the Volturi. It certainly wouldn't take long…I felt my own strength in every movement, and knew that if I needed to tunnel my way out of the city, it wouldn't be much of a challenge.

After nearly half and hour, we entered the huge, familiar room where I'd met the Volturi for the first time. Carlisle took a deep breath and composed his face into a semblance of a smile, but I could only manage a look of polite indifference. My stomach felt like it was churning with fear, and I swallowed it back, knowing that I was being irrational. I couldn't get sick anymore. Aro was the first one I saw, sitting in a chair that looked like a throne, and speaking to Jane who was standing at his side. Behind them were several others who seemed to be milling about, but I didn't recognize them…his two brothers were nowhere in sight. As I glanced around the room, Jane gave me a feral smile and I fought the urge to bare my teeth, reminded of how she'd hurt Edward. Aro, on the other hand, didn't seem to notice Jane's reaction to me and smiled hugely as Carlisle and I entered, holding out his arms as if to hug us, but he paused in front of us, folding his hands instead and seemed to compose himself. He'd flashed forward, and despite being used to such quick movements, I'd flinched. "Carlisle, my friend." I wasn't Jasper, but I could nearly feel my second father's unease. "It has truly been too long."

"Hello, Aro." Carlisle nodded, his smile faint. "It has. Forgive me…we've been quite busy. There hasn't been time to visit."

"Yes, especially since young Bella came into your life." He turned with a smile for me, his red eyes just as frightening as before. "I must say, my dear, immortality suits you." Once again, he reached out as if to touch me, but his hand never came into contact with my face. Instead, he reached out a hand. "If I may, Bella?" I knew I didn't really have a choice. I reached out, taking his hand as if to shake, but he only held my hand between both of his own, concentrating intently….and just like before, his concentration turned into brief surprise, and then what seemed like irritation that melted into his usual happy mask. "Well, it seems you're still immune to my little talent." He released my hand, glancing back at Jane. "Jane." Aro asked with a quiet smile, and I felt Carlisle's incredulous stare move between us. "Why don't we see if she's still immune…"

"Aro!" Carlisle cried, horrified, and as the small girl turned to face me, he stepped in front of me, growling furious as he got in the way, all semblance of polite friendship gone. Of course, he didn't know that I would still be immune…neither did I, honestly. Still, I wanted to grab him, to pull him away, but he continued, stepping towards Aro before I had the change. "Aro! You can't possibly…" and then he fell to his knees. His jaw clenched against the pain, and it was just like before…just like watching Edward collapse, agony clear on his face while he was tortured in front of me. Unlike Edward, after only a second he began to cry out, his agonized voice echoing in the halls. And I couldn't take it. Every part of me rebelled at the sight of my father screaming on the floor.

"No!" I shrieked, and something strange happened. He was silent. He looked up at me in bewilderment…and that was all I knew before I was on the ground, my entire body on fire as I thrashed, the burning consuming me again…just like before, and just the first time, when the fire had spread throughout my body, acid flowing through my veins and burning me alive. I shouted and thrashed, barely able to feel Carlisle's gentle hand on my shoulder.

"Jane, stop! Please, Aro, stop this!" He begged his old friend, his words all but lost on me, and then his hand tightened around my arm. It was like fire and acid and so much pain as my body burned…but after only a moment, something shifted in me…something I didn't quite understand, and the pain stopped as abruptly as it had begun. Gasping for air I didn't need, I slumped back against the floor, and Carlisle stared balefully at Aro who was watching us with complete fascination.

"Was that necessary?" He asked quietly. "You call yourself my friend, and when I visit, you torture my daughter?" His hand was on my arm, gently pulling me back to my feet, but once I was upright, his arm stayed around me. "We came to inform you that your condition was met. Bella is one of us…we've given her immortality. We've done nothing to deserve such a reception." I could tell he was anxious to leave…so was I. But Aro gave us a small, apologetic smile.

"Forgive me Carlisle. I simply had to know if young Bella was able to shield herself from Jane and myself like before."

Carlisle frowned down at me for a moment, then back at the grinning Aro. "Shield?" He asked, his face thoughtful.

"Well of course…young Bella is one of the most powerful shields I've ever encountered. Neither Edward nor myself can read her mind, and my she's immune to Jane's talent as well…sometimes." He chuckled. "It seems she can shield others as well. I've thought a great deal about young Bella's talent since our last meeting." He spoke speculatively, his gaze making me shrink uncomfortably against Carlisle who was holding me closely by his side now, his stance defensive.

"Regardless, we came to show you that we help up our end of the bargain. My daughter is one of us now, and our secret it safe." Aro nodded thoughtfully, then held out a hand. I'd hoped we would be able to skip this part.

Carlisle took a deep breath, looking over at me with a reassuring smile, and then held his hand out to Aro who had remained a few feet away from us while Jane and the others watched from across the room. I was frozen, feeling horror wash over me. What if Aro decided to punish us after all for revealing even a part of our secret? What if he decided to kill my father and Angela? I had no idea what Aro had meant about shielding others, but I remembered that day with Edward and Jasper…when I hadn't wanted Edward to see Sam hurting me. I remembered how Edward had somehow been unable to hear Jasper's thoughts for a moment.

Focusing with everything I had, I thought about my father, and Angela, and the danger they would be in. I thought about keeping Carlisle and the rest of my family safe. I stared at Carlisle and thought of how much I needed to be able to protect him and the rest of my family from Aro, and, to my unending surprise, as Aro touched my father's hand, he stiffened, looking up at Carlisle, and then at me in surprise. I wondered if he would reprimand me…if he would demand I let him hear Carlisle's thoughts. But Jane was looking at him eagerly, and I flinched, hoping she wouldn't do that to me again. Even if she did, I had to keep my focus….she couldn't kill me with her talent, but if he saw that Angela and Charlie were in on our secret….they might kill them. And maybe us too.

"Fascinating." He said quietly, dropping Carlisle's hand as he stared at me. "It seems you can shield others just as strongly as you can shield yourself. And you cannot yet control it?" I shook my head, hoping he wouldn't think to touch Carlisle again. I didn't know how long I could focus on this...already my mind felt so tired and strained, and I could almost feel something, like a rubber band being stretched too far, and hoped that it wouldn't hurt wen it snapped back. Instead of reaching for me, Aro only smiled, crossing his arms with a soft laugh. "Well, our conditions have certainly been met, and our secret is safe." I kept my face perfectly controlled. "You know, Carlisle, your coven has grown quite large…"

My father had moved back to my side, and at Aro's words, he wound his arm tightly around me once more, his body nearly blocking me from Aro and Jane, who gave me a cold little smile. I felt whatever it was that I suddenly seemed to be aware of surrounding me relax just a fraction, then pull back into place before it disappeared. I hoped Carlisle would have some insight into my strange gift, because I didn't understand it at all. "Bella will be the last, I believe. We are all mated, and happy as a family. Of course, we don't always live together." He murmured, and I wondered why he emphasized that.

"Young Bella, here, seems to have quite a gift. She's a strong little shield, isn't she?" Carlisle looked down at me, something akin to wonder in his eyes. We hadn't given much thought yet as to what I could do; much less give it a name. It had only been a few days since Alice had told us about Aro attempting to contact us…since we'd decided to drop everything and come here.

"She is." He agreed, his hand moving to my back where he began to rub soothing circles over my shirt. Aro looked at me for a long moment, a slight smile ever on his face.

"We could use a gift like hers. To be able to shield from any kind of mental invasion…oh, and I'm sure we could train her to master it…to do so much more. Such a wealth of potential!" Carlisle clenched his jaw, looking over at me, then back at the ancient vampire. "I know you won't join us again, my old friend, but perhaps your newborn will."

When Carlisle spoke, it was in a strangled voice that strove to be polite. But his hand was clutching my waist almost painfully. Suddenly I realized that if it came to a fight…if I had to choose to protect my family, I'd stay. My thoughts flashed back to Edward, and once more, my stomach lurched. I'd never see him again…I couldn't let Aro have him! I couldn't let him be forced into this life. Would our family be able to keep him away? My thoughts raced in panicked circles as Carlisle spoke. "I am the head of my family, not her master." He informed Aro. "Where she goes is up to her."

"Of course." The red-eyed man turned to me, his expression kind, and somehow that made him much more frightening. "What do you say, my dear? Would you like to visit us for a little while? We'd be happy to help you master your gift." I looked over at Carlisle, knowing he could see the fear in my eyes, and he rubbed his thumb over my side where his hand rested.

"Does she have a choice?" Carlisle wondered a bit coldly.

"Of course." Aro cried, seeming suddenly very shocked. "I wouldn't force you to stay, my dear. But I would love if you would join us, even if just for a little while. A little Italian vacation." He chuckled, as though he'd said something terribly clever, and I made myself smile lightly. "You could invite Edward to come as well, of course. I know you wouldn't want to be without him. If you decided to stay, I know he would come." The smile on his face made a shiver run up my spine. Carlisle squeezed me gently to his side and I considered my words carefully.

"I truly appreciate the offer, Aro, but I think I'd better be getting home. Edward will be missing me, and I wouldn't want to leave my family."

For a moment, a strange expression passed over his face, but he nodded, smiling once more. "Of course, dear Bella. I understand." For just a brief second, relief flared in my stomach. "Still, I insist you stay until this evening…we wouldn't want you out on the streets during the day of course." And with that, the relief was gone.

Icy fear gripped my heart, but I made myself nod, my lips curving into a tiny smile that I had to force. "Of course." I told him softly with a nod, knowing that there was no way to politely refuse that request. Carlisle rubbed my back, his thumb running in tiny circles across my shoulder blades. He nodded along with me, obviously aware that we had no choice in the matter.

"Carlisle, I'd love to catch up, old friend. Why don't you and I head into my library? You can tell me about your coven. And I have some old works I would dare say even you haven't read. Bella, Felix will show you to one of the rooms. You'll be comfortable there for a few hours…I'm sure our old stories would bore you, my dear."

I wanted to argue, and not only because I was afraid that he would keep me prisoner. There was something strange about his request. I wanted to grab onto Carlisle and hide behind him, away from the red-eyed gaze of this ancient monster. But that obviously wasn't an option. Instead, I stepped away from Carlisle, touching his hand for just a moment, then smiled at them, summoning every scrap of acting talent that Edward and Alice insisted I didn't have. "Of course." I told him simply, nodding a little, and noticing that Carlisle kept a careful distance between himself and Aro. Well, if Aro were to touch him now, there was nothing I could do…was there? I followed Felix, who had stepped out of the shadows and beckoned for me to follow him, but my mind was on Carlisle. I didn't want Aro to read his mind. He couldn't. I couldn't let that happen. I felt something stretch…it almost felt like a migraine building as I focused, but I refused to stop. Whatever this talent I had was, if I could just make it protect Carlisle, it would all be worth it.

It had been nearly three p.m. when we arrived. It would be dark around seven. Four hours, I told myself. I can keep this up for four hours. It wasn't so long, especially in a vampire's life. I could bear this for a little longer. But the further I followed Felix down the little hallway, the worse the pain got, until, thankfully, he stopped in front of a door. "You should be comfortable in here for a few hours." He told me with a grin, gesturing grandly, and I managed to make myself sound grateful.

"Thanks, Felix." I stepped past him with a little apprehension, but he simply remained at the door while I tried to take in the details of the room. I was glad. I was strong, and I'd learned a little about fighting, but I didn't suffer from any illusions that I could hope to beat Felix in a fight. Instead of thinking more on that, I turned to the room, taking it in. It was pure luxury, with a beautiful wooden wardrobe and a giant bed and even a television mounted to the wall. I wondered for a moment why a family of royal vampires bothered with guest rooms, but dismissed the thought as I kept all of my mental focus on Carlisle. I pictured him in my mind as I sat on the bed, not letting my mind wander or even react to the fact that Felix was standing outside the door that I'd shut behind myself as though he were guarding me…or keeping me prisoner. I didn't think about being forced to stay here, or the strangeness of this situation. No…I had to focus. Carlisle. I imagined his face in perfect detail. Unlike the other old vampires, he looked so alive and young…compassion and kindness radiated from his very being, and I never felt safer than when I was with him, save for being with Edward.

I pictured him with Esme, or with the others in our family. Leader and guide and father figure all in one. I had to keep him safe. I knew, deep down, that Aro would most likely not harm my surrogate father, soon to be father-in-law, but I also knew that, if imagining it this way helped me keep my concentration, then I would do whatever worked. It was in everyone's best interests if Aro couldn't read his mind, so I focused. I could hear others moving about the giant building, both above and below me. I could smell other vampires…blood drinkers from the smell of them, although I'd known that from the start.

I wanted to pull my phone out…to call Edward and assure him that he didn't need to worry. But I was terrified that if I moved even a muscle, the thing that seemed to stretch from my mind would snap back, and Carlisle would be left unprotected. From this distance and without knowing exactly where he was, I didn't think I could make it go back if I lost it. I just hoped that Alice would call Edward and let him know that we were okay. The last thing I needed was for him to storm the castle, so to speak, and anger the Volturi when the visit was already going so well. I snorted a little at the thought, then scolded myself for losing even a tiny bit of focus.

I imagined Carlisle once more, covered in a physical shield. That's what they had called me. A shield. So I imagined a barrier between Aro and my father…a physical thing keeping Aro from touching him, stronger than anything a vampire could break through. I kept my eyes forward, unseeing as they fixed on the TV, and the fatigue in my mind almost made me dizzy. I hadn't felt anything like this as a vampire. Even when I'd tried to keep Jasper from showing Edward what had happened, it hadn't felt anything like this. But it had to be the same thing, I told myself. Maybe it was the distance. Maybe I just needed more practice.

The hours seemed to drag, and my fear only increased with each one. What if they didn't let us go? What if Felix wouldn't let me out? What if someone hurt Carlisle? What if Edward panicked and came here? I bit down hard on my lip as the panicked thoughts circled my brain, leaving the majority of my focus on Carlisle. I felt so tired…I just wanted to close my eyes and let my mind relax, but I couldn't. I had to protect Carlisle! It couldn't be much longer.

And then the door opened, the anticlimax taking me by surprise. I looked up, staring at Felix as he looked at me, surprise flashing in his eyes before he composed himself. "You won't be hanging around the city, will you?" He wondered, and I shook my head, feeling my head pound with each movement.

"No. We're heading home tonight." After we headed to Spain, anyway…not that he needed to know that. The thought of spending the next day with Edward in a hotel was almost too good, and my concentration almost slipped. I forced myself to concentrate once more, and I pushed it away, telling myself that I would think about Edward…and call him, as soon as we left the building. I wanted to ask Felix why he'd been guarding the door…but honestly I was too fatigued to even bother. I followed him down the hallway once more, and, to my surprise, found myself in the reception area after only a few minutes. Carlisle, who had been standing and looking anxious, turned to me with wide eyes and hurried over to me, putting an arm around my shoulders and a finger under my chin. I didn't know why he was so worried, but Aro was no longer in sight and I realized that Felix had left us, so I let my mind relax, feeling my body slump with relief.

"Bella?" He asked, looking more and more worried by the second. "Are you alright?" Unable to help myself, I threw my arms around him, feeling myself shake a little as I clutched his neck. He put his hands on my back, stroking gently and trying to calm me. I was so tired…so completely exhausted, and even though I knew we were in the clear, I felt the fear like a dark shadow over my head. Was it this easy? Was he really going to let us go after making such a pretense of catching up with Carlisle and keeping me prisoner in a room by myself?

"Yeah. I'm fine. Are you okay?" He chuckled, sounding a little strained.

"I'm fine, sweetheart." I bit back a harsh sob, hiding my face in his shoulder. For a moment, kept in that room for reasons I didn't understand, I'd felt the stirrings of terror. What if Aro had decided to make me stay? What if he'd forbidden me from leaving? The thought sent a wave of panic through me, and Carlisle held me more tightly, shushing me softly. "I'm okay, Bella. We're both fine." He assured me.

"Can we leave?" I asked in a small, weak voice, feeling the façade I'd been trying to keep up in that room crumble around me.

"Of course. Let's go." He murmured, taking my hand and pulling me toward the door, obviously just as anxious as I was to get away. We passed the receptionist without a word and hurried out onto the dark street. The car was parked only a block away, just where we'd left it, and we didn't encounter any humans in the back alleys as we slipped into the vehicle. I let out a deep breath of relief as we began to drive away, leaving the nightmarish place behind. I still felt tired…such a strange, unfamiliar feeling now, and Carlisle continued to glance at me out of the corner of his eye as we left the city, which had me confused until I caught a glimpse of myself in the side mirror and stiffened in surprise.

Although my throat felt okay, my eyes were black…blacker than they had ever been, as though I'd gone months without feeding, and were underscored by deep, dark circles that made me look more exhausted than I felt. Everything about my face screamed tired and thirsty, and I touched my face with a wince. "We'll stop and find you something to drink." He told me softly, sounding baffled. "I can't understand…what did they do to you?" He sounded so frightened and bewildered, and I made myself smile.

"Nothing. They didn't do anything. And I'm not thirsty. I just want to get back to Edward." He gave me a look, but seemed to understand, as he nodded gently.

"Okay, sweetheart. We'll head straight to the hotel. Are you sure you aren't thirsty?" I could hear the slight disbelief in his voice and nodded.

"What happened?" I wondered, closing my eyes and resting my head against the window. He touched my hand, patting it gently.

"We'll talk about it later. You need to relax, sweetheart. You don't look well." I didn't have a reply for that. He was obviously worried, so I shut my eyes, focusing on the sound of the engine and the soft breathing of my father as he drove us to the airport.

**Thanks for reading!**


	4. Chapter 4

_**So...my laptop crashed. And I lost everything. All my personal writing. All my school stuff...not to mention everything I'd written on this story (I had several chapters already written up), all of my future work on Wrecked, a full story that I hadn't published yet, along with two half finished stories I was going to work on next. So as you can imagine, I'm a bit upset. When I get back, I'm going to see if I can get everything back, but there's no guarantee. I'm going to try to keep going, but I have to admit, I'm super discouraged right now. But I am going to try and update as quickly as I can. Anyway, I hope you enjoy the (late) chapter. Sorry guys!**_

_**Edward**_

I paced the room, clutching my hair in my hands. Why hadn't she called!? She'd promised that she would call! Why hadn't she called me! Or Carlisle? He'd promised that he would keep her safe. I knew that he would never let anything happen to her. Carlisle would die before he let someone hurt his family...but what if he had! What if they had hurt him and then they'd taken her?! No. I wouldn't even allow myself to think about it. I couldn't bear to think about losing them. All I could think about was her..she wasn't hurt. She couldn't be. She was fine. And Carlisle was fine. So why hadn't they called!? Well...I _had_ thrown my phone against the wall a few hours ago, but they knew what hotel I was staying in! They knew I wouldn't be living the room until they were back...they knew how to reach me. So why hadn't they!?

The moment the ring split the silence of the room, my hand was wrapped so tightly around the receiver that it cracked the plastic. "Will you calm down?"

I sighed, rolling my eyes at the familiar voice. "Alice, what's going on?"

"They're on their way. They shouldn't more than ten minutes." I was silent for a few seconds, desperate for her to continue. "Bella's okay. They're both okay." She assured me gently. "She's exhausted."

My relief suddenly vanished to make room for fear. "What?" I was frozen in the middle of the room, my eyes gazing out the window through the half-open curtains that revealed the cloudy sky over Spain.

"She has a gift, Edward. You know that. She was able to protect Carlisle from Aro, but he had them in separate parts of the castle...it took a lot out of her." We'd heard of other Shields...sort of. There were a few vampires whose gifts worked defensively, but they were all so different. Bella was a newborn. How could she have possibly control her gift so well? "She wore herself out, but she'll be fine."

"Her gift?" I asked softly, wondering if there was any way we could learn more about it.

"I called Kate." She told me softly. "We've been talking...since Bella was still human. I was wondering about her gift, and I knew she would be able to help."

"Kate?" My mind wandered back to the Denali sisters that I hadn't seen in so long.

"They've known others with similar gifts...I was thinking she could help train Bella to use her gift." I was silent, not sure how I felt about that. Bella had gone through so much. Did she need the added stress right now? "She won't come until we ask." She assured me. "Bella is still getting used to all this...to this life. I just wanted to let you know. And we'll talk to Bella about it. They'll be pulling into the parking lot in less than five minutes."

"Okay...thanks Ali."

"No problem...stop pacing. You're going to wear a hole in the carpet." And with that, she was gone. I snorted softly, placing the phone back on the receiver, flinching a bit at the huge crack in the plastic. I'd probably have to pay for that.

It wasn't all that strange that Bella was worn out from using her gift. When surrounded by too many minds in stressful or difficult situations, I often felt the need to get away, which was how I'd discovered the meadow and other places like it. When Jasper was in a room filled with too many powerful, negative emotions, it wore on him similarly, and Alice's visions, if she concentrated too much or for too long, could lead to a sensation of pain in her head. Mental fatigue was nothing new to us. What worried me was the fact that Aro had separate Bella from Carlisle in the first place...that he had some inkling of her gift and obviously wanted it. The thought made my jaw clench in protective fury. He couldn't have her. I wouldn't allow it...he would not take her away from me.

I heard the rental car pull into the hotel parking lot and I leaned over against the window, catching sight of Bella as she stood from the automobile. They'd been gone longer than they'd hoped, but they had both returned intact, so I couldn't really complain. I was just grateful to have her back. I watched as Carlisle slipped and arm around her shoulders and kissed her hair, then led her inside, his keycard beeping softly as he let them into the building.

They had barely opened the door to my suite when I pulled Bella into my arms, holding her almost too tightly to my chest. It was a habit...making sure not to use to much strength when handling her, but a habit I was learning to break, as she returned the embrace with just as much strength. She was obviously trying to be gentle with me, which made me want to laugh aloud, but it was necessary, as strange as it felt. But all humor left me when I pulled away and got a good look at her face up close. Her eyes were pitch black and underscored with purple bruises that looked almost painful. Lifting a hand, I gently ran my thumb under her eye, her soft, warm skin giving a little under my finger. I didn't know if I'd ever get used to that...to the way her skin felt just like mine.

"Love?" I murmured, looking anxiously into her eyes. She looked is thirsty...but we'd just hunted, not three days ago, and her eyes had been a bright crimson. Now she looked like she hadn't hunted in months...like she was starving. "You look so thirsty...are you okay?" She nodded, giving me a tired smile, her fingers covering mine on her face.

"I'm fine...just tired." I nodded, glancing up at my father whose thoughts were calling out to me, illustrating what had happened. In a few seconds, I'd seen pretty much everything. I'd seen Bella on the ground, screaming in pain as Jane tortured her, refusing to stop protecting Carlisle. I'd seen Bella's worried smile that she'd given Carlisle as Felix had led her away. I'd seen Aro guiding my father to the opposite end of the castle, the terror Carlisle had felt...the way Aro had made excuses while they were talking to touch his arm, always frustrated and obviously unable to see anything that's to Bella. I'd seen Carlisle insist that Bella was a newborn and couldn't yet control her gift.

Aro had smiled, his eyes full of something like amusement. "She could be a great asset to my guard...we could teach her to harness that gift of hers." Carlisle had stiffened, reminding Aro that this was Bella's decision. And then Aro had lead him to the waiting room, leaving him for an hour to wait for Bella to emerge from the castle, having no idea what they were doing to his daughter. The relief that he'd felt when Bella had jumped into his arms, shaking and exhausted though she was, had been staggering. My father nodded to me, a faint smile on his lips as he shut the door, leaving us alone.

"You protected him." I murmured, leaning forward to kiss her gently. "But Jane..."

"I'm fine." She insisted, squeezing my hand, and I slid an arm around her back, leading her over to the bed. Just because we couldn't sleep didn't mean it wasn't nice to lay down and hold her. I sat on the bed, waiting for her to toe her shoes off, and wrapped my arms around her, smiling softly when her head rested on my shoulder, her black eyes sliding shut as he breathing evened out.

"She hurt you." I whispered, my voice pained, and she looked up at me.

"Not for long." Bella reminded me with a little shrug, and I shook my head, holding her more securely to my side.

"Aro couldn't hear Carlisle's thoughts...you protected him." She smiled a little in relief. Obviously he'd already told her that, but it was probably good for her to hear it from the mind reader. "We should go hunt. You need it."

"I'm not really thirsty." She argued, frowning a bit at me in confusion.

"The blood will get your eyes back to normal...well, normal for you." She huffed a bit when I teased her, rolling her eyes, and I knew she would be happy to have a relatively human eye color again soon. It wouldn't be too much longer. "Would you like to stay? We can stay here for the night and join the others at the house tomorrow." Carlisle was planning on going back during the evening anyway, and I wanted Bella to myself for a little while before I had to share her with the family again. I found myself looking forward to the honeymoon yet again. It would be wonderful to have her all to myself on Esme's island, the beautiful tropical paradise, isolated from humans.

If I didn't know any better, I would have thought she was asleep. Her face was buried against my neck, her soft, even breaths puffing against the skin there. Her hand still clasped mine, and her body was flush against my side, sock covered feet resting against my calves. It was the most wonderful feeling in the world, holding her like this. We'd done a lot of cuddling since she'd become a vampire. Apart from playing with the others and Carlie, it was one of our favorite pastimes, especially since we'd decided to wait for the wedding, something I was only sort of regretting. "I love you so much." I murmured into her hair, kissing the top of her head. Her lips curled into a smile as she looked up at me, her eyes tired but happy.

"I love you too." Her fingers lifted to tangle in my hair, gently scratching at my scalp, and I hummed happily, feeling like a cat as the soft noise escaped my throat. She giggled, her eyes crinkling at the corners as she leaned up and kissed my throat, the my chin, moving up to my cheek. I smirked, about to kiss her, when she moved away, missing my lips and kissing my nose instead, then my eyelids. "So much." She dropped her voice to a whisper, finally kissing me on the lips, and I placed my fingers on the small off her back, holding her against me as our lips touched, becoming more and more insistent. I dropped my head back, feeling electric pleasure at every single place our bodies touched, reminding myself again and again that Isle Esme was worth the wait.

* * *

_Bella_

Hunting with Edward was still one of my favorite things to do...apart form kissing him. And cuddling with him. And touching him. And talking to him...okay, so anything having to do with him was my favorite thing to do. Kissing him was a completely new experience now that I was like him...every part of my body seemed to catch fire when we touched, every single time, and it felt so wonderful...eventually, we dragged ourselves off the bed. It was nearly sunset, even though it had been a cloudy day anyway, and Edward declared that we were going hunting. I wasn't really thirsty, but I knew he wouldn't rest until the bruises under my eyes were gone. He hated to see me thirsty.

We waited until about seven, when there was no threat of sunlight, and said goodbye to Carlisle who was on his way out. We'd head back to the house sometime the next day, according to Edward, and I wasn't about to complain about some time alone with my fiancé. Edward placed an arm around me, leading me out the door after pocketing the room key, then led me out to the rental car. The hallway smelled like humans, but I still wasn't very thirsty. That made it a little easier to hold my breath and ignore it. Edward's thumb rubbed gently at the top of my arm as he led me past the front desk, and we were wished a good evening and given directions to the nearest night clubs and restaurants.

Ever the gentleman, Edward opened the passenger side door for me, kissing my forehead as I sat in the seat, then shut the door gently. "Why don't we just run?" I wondered as Edward slid into the driver's seat.

"We could be seen." He told me simply, slipping his hand into mine. "We wouldn't want the humans getting the wrong idea...or rather, the right idea." I rolled my eyes and laughed shortly, leaning back against headrest and taking his hand.

"Of course. We're just going for a picnic in the woods like any other happy young couple."

"Exactly." He murmured, leaning over and kissing me quickly. "What would you like for supper? Squirrel? Bobcat? Swan, perhaps Miss Swan?" I had to laugh at that, and he joined me.

"Swan? Really?"

"Well, birds don't have much blood in them, but it could be interesting. I can't say I've ever tried bird,except for penguin." He wrinkled his nose, but his hand squeezed mine, his thumb rubbing over the back of my hand. "Bella?"

"Hm?" He'd lost the playful tone and was looking at me seriously.

"What happened at Volterra?" His voice was so low that even I found it hard to hear, and I turned to him.

"Edward..."

"I got part of it from Carlisle...you kept Aro from reading his thoughts. But he has no idea what happened to you."

"Nothing." I assured him. "They just made me wait in a room...I did my best to concentrate on protecting Carlisle, but they just left me in there until Felix let me out." He swallowed, his jaw tightening, but they hadn't actually don't anything to me, so he just nodded, squeezing my hand.

"I don't know what I would do without you, Bella." He whispered, sounding more frightened than anything.

"You don't have to know." I told him softly, turning in my seat and squeezing his hand. "I'm fine, Edward. And now they have no reason to bother us. We can go home tomorrow, and get married and go on our honeymoon." He chuckled at the excitement in my voice, lifting my hand to kiss.

"You're right. Have I mentioned that I'm looking forward to our honeymoon?"

"You have...what you haven't mentioned is where we're going." I teased, but he shook his head lightly as he pulled off on the side of the empty road.

"I don't think so, love. You'll find out when we get there." And once more, he flashed around to my side of the car to open my door, lifting a hand to me and helping me out of the car, even if the gesture was completely unnecessary. I didn't argue...I loved it. I loved how he took my hand every chance he got, and never held back when holding me or kissing me. It was so much different now, and I loved it.

He hadn't been kidding about the swans. The one I caught was fearless, and angrily flapped its wings at me until I snapped its thin neck, sucking until the animal was dry. I grimaced a bit at the taste, much to Edwards amusement, and let the animal drop as I stood, licking my lips quickly to catch any blood I'd missed. "You'd think the stupid things would be scared of vampires." I muttered irritably. "And that was gross."

"Hm...I'd say you taste much better, Miss Swan." He flashed over to where I stood, his lips closing over what used to be my pulse point and sucked gently, making me gasp and look around quickly for witnesses, but other than the other swans that has fled to the other side of the lake, we were alone.

"What is with you today, Mr. Cullen?" I asked with a laugh that died in my throat as he became a little less gentle.

"I was separated from your for hours, and I could have lost you. I'm making up for lost time." I didn't bother arguing...this was better than brooding at least.

An hour later found us brushing off our clothes and carefully picking leaves out of one another's hair. Edward looked into my eyes, seeming to smile with satisfaction. "You look much better." He told me, kissing my on each cheek under my eyes. "So much better in fact that you'll be needing these." He pulled a case out of his pocket and laughed when I groaned. He knew I hated wearing contacts, but I didn't have much of a choice when my eyes were brilliant red. Earlier, with my eyes being black, I could just keep my head down in public, but red was a bit more noticeable. Of course, I could just tell people that they were colored contacts, but I didn't want to draw attention to myself.

Edward helped me put the annoying little spheres into my eyes, then kissed each eyelid, making me laugh softly in the moonlight. "You are so beautiful." He whispered, running his hands over my cheeks. "I'll never grow used to how absolutely stunning you are." I rolled my eyes, about to retort, when he pulled gently so that I was flush against him.

"I could say the same of you." I told him instead. Kissing him one last time, I pulled away, my lips turning up with excitement. Sensing my mood, he lifted an eyebrow. I leaned in, putting my lips right against s ear. "Race you back to the car." And then I was off, laughing aloud when I heard his footsteps right behind me.

"Once this newborn strength wears off, I'm going to be the fastest again, you know that right?" He asked, justly loudly enough for me to hear as I raced ahead of him.

"We'll see." I called back playfully, and I could almost smell the car when another scent hit me, and I dug my heels in, stopping right in front of Edward who plowed into me. I winced when his body slammed mine to the ground, quickly taking stock out of habit to make sure nothing was broken. It wasn't, of course, but I Edward was instantly anxious.

"Are you okay?" He demanded softly, rolling us over so that he could look at me. "Did I hurt you? I'm so sorry...I didn't see..."

"I'm fine." I hissed softly, trying to get him to be quiet, but he quickly caught on, jumping to his feet and pulling me with him, his arm draping over my shoulders. "Another vampire?" I asked, not too sure. He nodded, his arm too tight around me as he led me back to the car. "How..."

"Shh." He cut me off gently, kissing my hair to soften the order. We ran again, this time together, as we reached the car, then started to jump in when the scent abruptly grew closer and Edward whirled around, pushing me behind him.

The man's red eyes seemed to glow in the dark as he stared at us, lifting an eyebrow at Edwards protective stance. He offered a quiet greeting in Spanish, seeming more amused than anything, and I moved to stand next to Edward who responded. Unfortunately I'd never paid much attention in Spanish, so I had no idea what was being said. However, Edward soon relaxed a bit, nodding and smiling just a little, and I heard my name and his being said. I nodded a bit, and Edward even chuckled just a little, but he never let his arm move from around me. After a few minutes Edward gave a nod and opened my car door, but shook his head at something the other vampire said. The red eyed man backed away, nodding courteously, then raced back into the trees, blending into the darkness.

"What was that?" I asked, glancing over a bit nervously, but Edward just shook his head.

"I can't take you anywhere." His voice was just a touch relieved, but his hand was clutching mine once more. "I suppose you're still a magnet for trouble of all kinds." I waited, and he smiled over at me a little. "It was just a nomad. He was asking if this was our territory, and I explained that we were visitors, and what the color of my eyes meant." He turned to face me, ignoring the road. "Bella, are you sure I didn't hurt you? I wasn't paying enough attention and..." I lifted my hand, cutting him off.

"Edward, I'm just as strong as you are now. I'm fine...I was just surprised. I wasn't expecting another vampire to be around...how many of us are there?" He shrugged.

"More than you'd think, but not too many where we are going to live. Carlisle and Esme checked the area before selecting the house. Vampires typically choose large cities where they can prey on the homeless or junkies...no one misses them. No one gets exposed." Edward sighed, shaking his head. "The vampires name was Carlos. He doesn't have a coven. I didn't mention ours." I nodded, not responding. "We won't have any trouble with Carlos. He's just a nomad, and he's not going to bother us. I doubt he'll ever come near our hunting range anyway."

"If he wasn't dangerous, why were you acting like that?"

"Habit." He answered with a shrug, and I snorted.

"You had me worried. I thought we were going to have to fight him."

"_We_ wouldn't have had to fight anyone. _I _would have fought him if the need had arisen." I rolled my eyes but didn't bother arguing. It didn't matter...if it had come down to it, I would do anything to protect Edward, just like he'd protect me...just like I had Carlisle at Aro's home. I wasn't a weak human anymore.

**_I'm sorry it's a bit short, but I honestly wanted to publish another chapter so you guys wouldn't think I was abandoning anything. Updates will just take longer until I can get a new laptop in December. Until then, I'm stuck with an IPad and my friend's computer for another week or so. Thanks for reading guys!_**


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